The dreams you held so tight lost their meaning
by swanqueen530
Summary: Two years ago Regina Mills was told her baby boy had died at birth, Cora makes her daughter think that the only way she will ever be good enough is to do ballet. So Regina takes the dream on as her own taking it dear to earn the love she so desperately wants from her mother. When she gets in a car accident and is left in critical condition will her dreams she holds so tightly lose.
1. Drowning in the Darkness

"Time," Regina heard as she was pointing her toes to the breaking point. Although for Regina it was never time, time was never up. For her dance never stopped, for her, it was the only thing she had in life the only thing that could earn her, her mother's love. It was her dream and she would work as long and as hard as she had too, to make it up on that stage.

Layers of makeup caked on her pale face to hide the scars and scabs from so long ago. Her dark brown hair almost being pulled out of her scalp from the tight bun it was constricted in. Her barely covered feet hitting the cold wood floor as gently as they possibly can, jumping right back up into a pirouette. Her perfectly pouting white lips facing the ceiling as she glides across the stage, dizziness seeping through her mind. Swaying with what little bits of the music, registered in her mind.

The lights are going out now one by one moving closer to the dancing form, that looks magnificent from far away. But up close is small and feels so insignificant in this world a little girl who can't find her way. A little girl who doesn't even know that there is any way for her other than her mothers. A woman who looks all grown up on the outside ready to face anything, while that little girl struggles inside of her trying to find a way out. That little girl who's just looking for a way back to the past, when her mother was softer and kind. Where he was still alive, where she loved and was loved in return. Where her feet didn't ache from dancing until she passed out, whose soul didn't ache to truly be itself.

"Gina, it's closing time," the old scraggly looking janitor said as he reached her, the only light still on, was the one above her. Illuminating her like a star as she jumped and flipped to the soft gentle music. Regina sighed with relief, as she put on her scraggly tweed raincoat, pulling her hair out from it. Scowling slightly at the contrast in her clothing. Her mother only bought new stuff when it came to ballet, the rest of her clothes were worn and torn. Days she didn't dance which was hardly never, she looked like she was an orphan who had wondered the streets for quite some time. In her heart that is also how she felt ever since three years ago, she feels like her mother is no longer her own.

Every dollar she ever made went straight to her mother who was already wealthy enough. Regina had nothing to call her own not even her own life. While her mother rode in fancy limousines, Regina rode in an old beat down convertible the top permanently down. Riding along as she breathed in snowflakes. Getting into the car praying it would start, as it sputtered and wheezed finally whirring to life. The street light guiding her way as she drove all alone, not a single soul in sight, Thus beginning the monotony of street signs and car music. Her sweet and gentle humming floating into the night sky passing her by and moving on without her. It all happened in slow motion, a moment that lasted forever right until it all went black. The blinding light, coming head on lighting up the night sky. The shattered glass reflected moonlight coming straight to her face. Then the pooling darkness enveloping everything including her.


	2. The Bruises Underneath

Hey guys! Sorry I didn't update for a while, anyway here's the next chapter. By the way thought I'd let you know that this will eventually be SwanQueen. Anyway, hope you guys like it and have a great day!  
_

The paramedics found her in a ditch still alive, but barely breathing. Her left ankle twisted all the way around, the doctors said she'd never walk again. Looking so small there in the grass, her ballet outfit now stained a deep red. New bruises now covered her pale face, snow dotting her black hair. Her convertible smooshed between the other cars, she had flew through the top that never did close. Her mother never visited her, just told the doctors to get her out of there as quickly as possible, so she could dance six weeks later. Leaving an unconscious Regina in a hospital bed with no reason to fight no reason to fight.  
Emma Swan's first day on the job was a rough one, already a new patient and at that one who was in a coma. A patient they said might not even wake up, but that didn't stop her. She came in every day to see the sleeping woman, whose black hair was in long messy curls. Whose skin was a sickly white color that matched the gauze on her forehead. The messy makeup still in streaks down her face, Emma went through her bag, smiling softly when she found what she needed. Taking out the small makeup wipe and gently wiping away the makeup streaks, her eyes widening and mouth opening in a gasp. When she saw all the bruises that peppered the girls skin, the part that saddened her the most was that the bruises were old. Which meant the accident didn't do this to her, no something else did. "What happened to you, sweetie?" The question is soft spoken and more to herself than it was to the girl. The woman she silently corrected herself, sometimes she had to remind herself that the small fragile looking form dwarfed by the hospital bed, was older than herself by a year. Gently removing the make up around the woman's mouth and chin. Almost crying at the fingerprint shaped bruises she saw there, she knew those bruises for she had once worn them. It reminded her of things that were buried deep within her, memories of a little girl whose blonde hair was matted from lack of care. Memories of a little girl whose adoptive father drank too much and used his fists as words, and boy did he talk and scream a lot. She pushed away those thoughts and let a tear fall for the woman, running her fingers softly through her hair. Singing softly under her breath, as she went to go stretch out the other woman's feet. She was stopped by a gentle tap on her shoulder, causing her breath to hitch and turn around. To see rich chocolate eyes staring into her own deep forest eyes. The stars look so peaceful there in her eyes, god Emma you can't think that way knock it off. The blonde was lost in her thoughts drowning in pools of chocolate color.  
"H-Hi I'm um I'm Emma, your physical therapist." Emma says softly trying her best not to startle Regina anymore than she might have already. 


	3. Those Eyes

Hey guys sorry for taking so long to update, hopefully from here the chapters will be progressively getting longer. Hope you guys enjoy it and have a good day!

The brunettes eyebrows jumped to her hairline "W-Where am I and why do I need a physical therapist?" Regina asks her voice scratchy from not talking in a while her words laced with fear.

Emma sighs softly "You were in an accident and your left ankle is broken badly." she said softly.

It saddened Emma deeply to see how quickly Regina's face fall. "When can I walk again?" Regina asks hope coming into her voice, Emma sighed deeply.

"You might never be able to walk again, but I'll be here to help you walk again." Emma says softly hating to take away what hope might have been there.

The brunettes face fell almost instantly, a shiver running through her at the thought of her mothers disappointment and what that could mean. Her hand ghosting over the bruises on her chin in the shape of her mothers fingerprints. A single tear slipped down her bruised face.

"Who did that to you?" Emma asks carefully, not knowing quite how to console Regina.

"I can't tell you, you would tell someone." Regina says her bottom lip quivering.

"I won't tell anyone, anything you say if safe with me." Emma says softly wanting to know who it was so that so she could try to protect the brunette.

"M-My mother." Regina stutters out, hoping that Emma is someone she can trust.

At those word Emma feels her heart break for her, she never had a mother but she had foster parents like that. But she couldn't imagine someone who was supposed to love and protect you would want to hurt you.

Emma moves a strand of hair out of Regina's face and putting it behind her ear, giving her a small hug trying not to hurt her.

"I'm so sorry." Emma says hoping she could offer the brunette some comfort, because that was all she had ever wanted.

"Does it get any better?" Regina asks noticing the far off look in Emma's eyes, she recognized it as one that was often seen in her own.

It took Emma a minute to understand exactly what the brunette was talking about and she looked at her puzzled with how she could tell, then she remembered that she could tell too.

"How did you know? And in my case yes I aged out of the system and never had to see those people ever again." Emma said.

"You just have this look in your eyes and I wish I had enough money to move out." Regina says sadly no hope in eve getting out of there.

"Well when you get out of here if you'd like you can stay in my spare bedroom for a while. But I must warn you I have a little two year old with enough energy to bounce off walls." Emma says.

Regina smiles brightly at what Emma said mumbling softly sadly "that's how old he would have been." Regina says tears falling down her face.

Fingers feeling for her locket on her neck, looking for her locket, the tears coming down harder when she finds its not there.

"Oh um here, I forgot I was supposed to give this too you. This is what you were looking for right. Who's he?" Emma asks handing Regina the heart shaped silver locket.

Regina's tears all but stop as she takes the locket from Emma's warm hand that contrasts so much against her own, she lets her hand linger there for a few moments hoping to warm her own hand.

"He was my son, he passed away shortly after he was born." Regina says opening the locket and showing Emma the picture held inside of it.

Those eyes Emma recognized those eyes they were shared with her son, hazel with flecks of blue and green, she had never seen those eyes before, except for in the eyes of her son.


	4. Put in the Pouring rain

Hey guys thanks so much for all the reviews they're really appreciated. Here's another chapter I hope you like it and have a great day!!

"He-he was beautiful." Emma says soflty, frowing slight when regina let her hand fall back on the bed.

"Yes he really was. Are you okay?" Regina asks seeing Emma's shock.

"Ya he just he reminds me so much on my son, they have the same eyes." Emma says softly turning her phone so that regina can see the picture of Henry.

"He's precious, and yes they have the same eyes." Regina says looking at the smiling boy with a toothy grin, in and oversized jersey and some shorts.

"I just can't fathom why someone would ever want to hurt him. " Emma says tears stinging her eyes from the memory.

Regina's eyes widen softly in confusion.

"What happened?" Regina asks.

"His birth mother's mother was going to kill the baby shortly after its birth. For he bacame the girls soul focus. My friend saved him and brought him to my doorstep." Emma says tears in her eyes.

"I fought for months to make him mine in the eyes of the state, but I knew he was mine from the moment I saw him." Emma adds her mind going back to that night.

 _It was cold and stormy that night a flood warning had been put into place for the next morning. At three am Emma opened the door to find a sopping wet Ruby. Brown hair matted and clothes soaked. Desperately trying to keep the bundle in her arms warm and dry. "Emma can I come in?" Ruby asked._ _Emma had let her come and had been told all about the newborn. She had immidiately agreed to take him in, until everything was okay. But the moment she held him she knew she was never going to let go._ "You must be a great mom." Regina says softly.

"I really hope I am." Emma replies, as a three foot tall blur bounds into the room.

"Henry you were supposed to wait for mom." Emma says to the boy, who just flashes a smile.

Sitting himself up on the bed by Regina's feet and bouncing up and down. Earning himself a low chuckle from Regina.

"Henry please don't bounce you mighg hurt her." Emma says with worry not wanting to cause the brunette any more pain.

Henry then becomes aware of the woman lying in the bed.

"oopsy i sorry, who's you?" Henry says still stumbling over his words.

Regina smiles at him softly.

"Its okay, my name is Regina and I'm guessing your is Henry." Regina says.


	5. To get back up again

Sorry it took me so long to update, things have been hectic lately. anyway heres the next chapter hope you enjoy it and have a great day!!!

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Regina smiled at the little boy who had occupied her room for a least twenty minutes now, as he bounced up and down and told her all kinds of crazy stories. From what Regina could tell he was a very smart boy for his age, and his toothy grin was by far the most adorable thing she had ever seen. Now he was getting very whinny.

"Are you tired Henry?" Regina asks the little boy who has almost fallen asleep on his crayons and coloring book.

"Me tired." Henry confirms with a little shake of his head, trying to make room for his head on the little table.

Causing Regina to scoot over on what little bit of hospital bed there was and pat the space next to her, gesturing for Henry to come lay down. An action that was rewarded with toothy grin from Henry as he bounded to the hospital bed, laying down. Emma had left him in Regina's room to finish doing some rounds finding that she had no other patients. She walked to Regina's room feeling bad she had left her with Henry considering Regina couldn't walk. But all of that faded away as she poked her head into the hospital room, blonde curls blocking her view for minute. Sweeping her hair out of her way she say Regina and Henry curled up on the hospital bed, Henry fast asleep. Regina obviously not able to get comfortable from the pain in her leg that Henry was currently laying on, but the brunette didn't have the heart to wake him. Emma found it to be one of the cutest things ever, the brunette being a natural with children.

"Hey there." Regina says quietly as if not to wake Henry.

"Hey how long has he been out?" Emma asks quietly smile not leaving her face once.

Regina smiles at the mention of the sleeping boy, "Maybe an hour or so." she says voice almost a whisper voice higher than Emma had heard it before.

"Wow I can never get him to take a nap." Emma says with faux jealousy.

"He was so tired he almost fell asleep on his coloring book." Regina says with a soft chuckle.

"Well when he wakes up, we are going to try standing with the parallel bars." Emma says.

"Really?" Regina says excitement in her voice at the prospect of standing.

"And when we get you standing on your own we can move on to water therapy." Emma says.

Regina's face scrunched softly in confusion not really knowing exactly what Emma was speaking of.

"Almost like your gonna go swimming, but the water will allow you to walk so you can strengthen you muscles before you can actually walk on the ground." Emma says with her childlike explanation.

Excitement came to Regina's face again and she asked the question Emma had been dreading to hear "When will I be able to dance again?" Regina asks.

Emma's face falls and she says "I'm sorry, but I'm not sure if you even ever walk again."

Regina's face mimics the falling of Emma's "What am I going to do than?" Regina asks the thought of not earning her mothers love making her feel like a ton of bricks had been dropped on her.

Her thoughts interrupted by a small yawn and the little boy uttering Gina sleepily.

"Ya I'm here, are you finally ready to get up?" Regina teases the little boy.

Who promptly jumps out of the bed and proclaims with a toothy grin, "I up, I up."

Emma chuckles softly from the door catching Henry's attention as he launches himself into his mother's arms. Emma hugs the little boy before sitting him back down on the ground.

"I have the night shift tonight Henry so Ruby's gonna watch you." Emma says.

Henry jumps up excitedly knowing that Ruby watching him always means excessive amounts of sugar. Regina smiles at the little boys enthusiasm.

A knock of the door signally the arrival of ruby, who stood in the doorway flannel slung around her shoulders that were already partially covered by dark brown straight hair.

" Aunt Ruby!" The little boy all but squeals with excitement.

Ruby swoops him up into a hug and tells Emma goodbye and see ya later. Before carrying the little boy out of the room.

"Ready to try to walk?" Emma asks.

"Yes." Regina replies.

"Okay I'll just get the wheelchair and we can head to the physical therapy room." Emma says walking back into the room a few seconds later with a standard issued hospital wheel chair.

Carefully helping Regina out of bed and into the wheel chair. Wheeling her down the hall to the conveniently placed physical therapy room. Wheeling the chair to where Regina could reach the parallel bars with her hands. Regina slowly got herself out of the wheelchair using the bars to steady herself. Finally getting into a standing position and taking a small shaky step with the help of the parallel bars. Ignoring the pain in her ankle as she tries another step and feels her feet fall out from beneath her hands slipping off the bars. Expecting to be met with the cold hard ground she is instead caught by a surprisingly fast Emma.

Tears find there way to regina's eyes, she was never going to be able to do this she thought to herself. Tears spilling silently down her face, still in Emma's arms.

"Hey it's okay you did good." Emma assures her.

"I-I can even stand." Regina replies shakily.

"But you did you took two steps which is certainly not was I was expecting." Emma encourages Regina.

"If there's anything I've ever learned Regina, it's that you have got to get back up no matter what knocks you down." Emma says gently trying to help Regina stand again.

Regina nods tearfully trying to stand this time with the help of Emma's strong arms instead of the parallel bars. Regina doesn't even realize that Emma's arms slowly let go of her and she's now standing on her own, Emma right there to catch her if she falls.

Emma smiles widely at how well Regina is doing. Slowly helping her back into the wheelchair so that she doesn't damage her ankle further.

"That was amazing." Emma says happily.

"What?" Regina asks dryly.

"You stood." Emma replies.

"With your help." Regina all but deadpans.

"No I let go of you, you were standing on your own." Emma tells her truthfully.


	6. Hello Moon

**Hey Guys! I think I'm going to try and upload every Thursday if I can. I'm still working on making them longer so bear with me there. Anyway just thought I'd get another chapter out because I start school again tomorrow. So I hope you guys enjoy and have a great day.**

Emma wheels Regina back to the room and helps her back into the hospital bed. She disappears for a few minutes and returns with a deck of cards and two cans of soda on a little table. She sits the little table next to Regina right against the hospital bed, pulling up a kid chair and sitting down.

"Go fish?" Emma suggests.

Regina gives her a smile "You're a child." She says with a smirk.

"Indeed I am" Emma says putting a bendy straw into her soda for added effect.

Earning a chuckle from Regina as she opens her soda. Emma deals out seven cards to each of them, and places the rest of the cards in the middle of the table.

"Do you have a queen, your highness." Emma teases.

Regina frowns and throws the card across the table like a child.

Emma smiles and says "Who's the child now?"

"Still you dear." Regina says as she places four matches down on the table.

Earning a pout from Emma and a chuckle from Regina.

"So why do you want to dance again." Emma asks from behind her cards.

Regina frowns slightly "if I don't my mother won't, well she won't love me."

"So you're doing all of this to get your own mother's love." Emma questions confusion clouding her features as she places a match on the table.

"Yes." Regina replies almost sadly, taking a card from the deck.

"I'm sorry I guess I just don't understand." Emma says.

"Why not?" Regina asks oblivious.

"My parents left me on the side of the road as a newborn. They left me to die so I guess I just don't understand what motherly love is like."

Emma says.

"Oh god I'm sorry I had no idea. I just wanted my mother's love to feel like I wasn't a mistake like I've done something anything right." Regina says quickly.

"It's okay, but sometimes I just feel like I'm not a good enough mother to Henry because like I said I don't know what it's like." Emma says doubting herself as she takes a card from the deck.

"Oh Emma, you're an amazing mother and Henry absolutely adores you. I can see it you'd do anything for him and you put him first. That is what motherly love is like it's being put first." Regina says.

Which earns her a watery smile from Emma who declares defeat at go fish. Regina have 10 matches and Emma having only five.

"And Regina." Emma says.

"Yes Emma?" Regina asks.

"You are the furthest thing from a mistake." Emma mutters falling asleep.

Regina smiles and looks over to Emma, to see her asleep head on the hospital bed. Regina gently pushes the table away from the bed and pulling the chair Emma is sitting in closer so that she doesn't hurt her back. Regina lies down Emma's head next to hers, running her fingers through blonde curls. Gently lulling herself to sleep.

Regina wakes up to find Emma gone the cards and soda all picked up and actually feels sad at that.

But that all fades away when she hears "Gina" from who can only be Henry.

Smiling she turns her head towards the door and sees Henry decked out in footie pajamas and Emma in a matching onsie. Regina suppresses a giggle at the sight of the two of them. Emma looking like she's been drugged and Henry full of energy.

Emma offers her a small sleepy smile, hand of her back that must be hurting from sleeping in a chair.

Regina smiles and scoots over offering some of the bed to Emma. Emma smiles again and crawls into the hospital bed Henry finding his way to the small cot in the room. Before jumping back up and running to Regina.

"Movies" he proclaims and holds up a collection if Disney movies.

"That's awesome." Regina says.

Henry jumps off the small cot and runs to the DVD player jumping up and putting the movie in. Snow white played which was quite ironic considering over the time they had known each other Emma had taken to calling Regina a queen. Regina smiles when she hears both mother and son snoring. Looking over to Emma, her head looking very uncomfortable on the railing of the bed. Regina gently takes Emma's head and places it on her chest.

Regina smiles at the young nursing student who walks through the door to check on her.

"You really like her don't you." The nurse in her early twenties said from the door.

"Am I that obvious dear?" Regina says with a hearty chuckle.

"Yes I'm afraid you are ma'am." The woman says.

"I hope, she likes me too." Regina says.

"Movie day is a sacred thing for Emma she talks about it all week. She used to say she would only watch movies with Henry, so she must like you a great deal to have movie day with you." The young nurse says with a smile.

"Movie day is my new favorite day." Regina says.

"Well I hope you have a good day." The nurse says.

"I hope you do too." Regina says.

"I like you too." A half asleep Emma says, eyes not even opening.

Regina smiles and runs her fingers through Emma's hair until she too falls asleep.

Regina wakes up to see that the hospital room has darkened, which means that the stars are in the sky. Carefully she lays Emma's head on the pillow careful not to wake her and she sits herself in the wheelchair. Wheeling herself to the balcony and thinking to herself the hospital was way to fancy. Opening the balcony door and wheeling out onto the balcony. Staring up at the stars in the sky in awe with their beauty and for the first time in a very long time she allowed herself to wish upon a shooting star. She talked to the moon as she had done when she was a small child because she had no friends except for the moon and the moon never left her.

"Hello moon, its been a very long time and I now find this terribly foolish, but I'll speak to you an inanimate object much more significant than myself anyway. I met a girl, shes so beautiful, and she has an amazing little boy. I really do hope you are taking care of mine. She's funny and adorable and she acts like a child, but instead of being annoyed by it I secretly love it. I guess you could say shes like my sun. There to shine a bright light on things that seem irreparably dark. I think I might just be falling for her." Regina says talking to the moon as though it was an old friend.

"I think I might just be falling for you too." Says a quiet voice behind her that can only be Emma's.

Smiling as she leans her head back and Emma lays her arms around Regina's neck, both looking up at the stars.


	7. Your scars are beautiful too

**Hey Guys! I'm back sorry this is up at a later time than usual, I'm officially a freshman in highschool and while it's great it's also a tad time consuming. Anyway hope you guys enjoy this, until next Thursday. I hope you guys all enjoy and have a wonderful day!**

Water therapy that's what Emma had called it at least. Regina thinks fumbling about after putting on a standard issue, she had never thought herself as necessarily pretty, but right now she didn't even feel like she was in her own skin. It was now that she was realizing the pink scars on her stomach, a stomach that had sunk in causing her hip bones to jut out. She frowned who could ever love her now was the thought that kept appearing in her head. They were bigger than the other scars, but the memories they held weren't dark they were almost light in a way freeing. They reminded her that this wasn't what her mother had done to her, this had happened peacefully in a screech of tires and snow in her hair. This hadn't been hitting and other terrible things she no longer tried to dwell on, she has learned to forget not to forgive, but to quickly forget. The knocking on the door breaking her out of her thoughts, which was good because the hospital bathroom was so small it was suffocating.

"Come on Regina, please come out." Came the sigh from the blonde on the other side of the door who was wearing an oversized white t-shirt and swim suit bottoms.

"I am, I'm coming I'm fine." The brunette tries to hide behind the lie, not wanting Emma to know what she now thought of how she looked.

"You're not fine." Emma says opening the door and walking in eyes closed even though she knows that Regina has been dressed in the swimsuit for at least five minutes.

When she doesn't hear a word of protest Emma opens her eyes, and the sight she sees truly breaks her heart. Regina, confident beautiful Regina looking down at her fresh scars tear tracks across her face eyes puffy from crying. Emma reaches forward without a second thought pulling Regina into a tight reassuring thought.

"You're still beautiful." Emma says into her hair, running her fingers through the dark strands of hair.

"You think I'm beautiful?" Regina asks, Emma's words being all that she will ever need to feel truly beautiful.

That's when Emma realizes that Regina thought, she would no longer love her and the blonde's heart melts out of love and sadness for the brunette.

"Nothing you could make you less beautiful" the blonde says

And even though she had never kissed Regina's lips that didn't stop her from bending on her knees and kissing every scar, whispering how beautiful Regina was between each kiss. Kissing mostly the new and pink ones and then moving on to ones that were white, faded with time. Kissing everything that could be considered to anyone else as an imperfection, but to Emma it was what made Regina so beautiful. She was beautiful to Emma because of her strength and these scars showed that and they were what made her Regina, so Emma kissed everyone of them and told them they were beautiful.

Finally getting up at her knee rising to her height from which she stood just a little taller than the brunette. Which made it all the more sweeter when Emma tilted her head down gently capturing Regina's lips with her own. Regina getting up slightly on her tip toes, doing anything really just to get even to closer. Emma wrapping her arms around Regina's waist and pulling her gently closer to herself. Meshing them together, every curve fitting perfectly like the movies everything almost to good to be true. Emma had never been one for believing in true love and always wondered why people thought that could even exist. But in that moment there her lips on the soft ones of Regina's feeling so safe and at home she for a moment believed right along with those people. And with Regina that moment of believing would last a lifetime. This was her own little fairytale the summary clear in her mind ' The orphan who found home in the lips of a queen.'

Finally, sadly Emma realizes she has to pull away or else they both with pass out from lack of air. Her lips still resting on Regina's she mutters "You're beautiful" against Regina's lips.

"That was-" Regina says stopping to catch her breath, still oxygen deprived.

"Amazing." Emma finishes for her resting her forehead against the brunettes.

"Ya." Regina offers up, breathing shaky, but voice sincere.

"Are you ready?" Emma asks in reference to the water therapy hoping this will be a good day.

"With you I think I'm ready for anything." Regina says taking Emma's hand to her own, thankful that she had learned to stand on her own again already.

Emma guides Regina back into the wheelchair, and wheels her slowly down the hallway.

Once Emma's helped Regina into the pool she slowly getting in, pulling off her t-shirt to reveal the top of her swimsuit, before sinking down into the water. Regina gasps slightly when she finds that she can swim, tears of joy dripping down her face.

"I can swim." Regina says.

"Yes you can, that's what I love about the water, it's like it heals us temporarily." Emma says with a soft smile, as a kid they had called her a fish because of her love for water and not much had changed since then.

"I wish I could swim more often." Regina says laying her hair back in the water soaking it thoroughly.

"Me too, Henry is afraid of the water." Emma says with a soft chuckle.

"I used to be afraid of the water at his age too." Regina says with a smile at the mention of the boy.

"Really?" Emma asks lifting an eyebrow in amusement.

"Ya I know right, I grew out of it, but for the longest time I was so afraid of drowning." Regina says with a hearty chuckle.

"I think you're ready to walk." Emma says brightly pushing soaked blonde hair out of her face.

"That sounds great." Regina says with a smile, getting out of the pool and sitting on the edge, starting to shiver at the lack of a towel.

As if reading her mind Emma comes behind Regina and wraps her tightly in a heated towel that she warmed up in the blanket warmer. She did it out of habit, because Henry always got super cold after she actually could get him to swim and judging by Regina's blue lips so did she. Regina looks up at Emma giving her a grateful smile as she borrows deeper into the warm towel amazed at how Emma knew.

"You're a lot like Henry you know?" Emma says to the still slightly shivering brunette.

"I'd like to think that's how my little boy would have been like." Regina says quietly.

"I bet he would be." Emma adds pulling Regina against her shoulder side hugging her.


	8. Authors Note

Hey guys so this is not a chapter and I'm really sorry about that. I'm on vacation with my family and can't update right now, because I left my laptop at home. Most of the chapter is already written, so the next chapter should be up by tonight or tomorrow.

Anyway I hope you guys have a wonderful Labor Day!!!


	9. All these small steps you take

**Hey guys I'm back. Just got home, the car ride was crazy long even though I was only three hours away. Hope everyone had a wonderful labor day weekend, and again I'm sorry for not updating sooner. Anyway I hope you guys enjoy and have a wonderful day!**

Walking, who knew how hard a simple skill that almost everyone mastered around the time they were fine would be so hard to relearn. It seemed almost as crazy as learning to breathe again, something that had once came to Regina so naturally now didn't come to her at all. Regina had the standing part down, but everytime she tried to put one foot in front of the other she would end up crossing her legs somehow and landing on the floor a sobbing mess of tangled limbs. Emma was always there though, holding her closely to her chest making sure she wasn't hurt and whispering that she would get through this and Regina was really starting to believe. Today would be the day that she would try again to walk for the fourth time this week and she was slightly terrified. She knew why she couldn't walk because you couldn't do something you didn't even want to do. The thought of walking meant that she would have to dance again and as soon as she could dance again, she knew deep in her mind that her mother would pull her away from everything. That her mother would pull her away from Emma and that she'd be powerless to stop it. Because while Regina might be strong, she didn't think she was strong enough to get out of her mother's death grip.

"What are you thinking?" Emma asked sitting in the small chair next to the hospital bed, the book she had been reading now sitting abandoned in her lap attention turned towards Regina instead.

Regina had been staring off into space a distant look on her face, that told Emma she was somewhere far away from this hospital room, lost in her own thoughts.

Regina wants to say something like "Nothing and everything at the same time." but this is Emma and she can tell her anything so she instead asks "Would it be crazy if I just didn't want to walk again?"

"It depends, why don't you want to walk again?" Emma asks her ratty old sweatshirt dwarfing her frame to a point where one could say she was practically swimming in it.

To Regina she looked perfect even when she was swimming in a ratty old sweatshirt, hair pulled up messily strands covering her face and reading glasses low on her nose.

"If I walk, that means I'll be able to dance again doesn't it?" Regina says softly, in a way sadly even though she tries not to show it.

"It's likely with how well you've been doing lately I don't see why not." Emma says and then she sees it in the way that Regina's face falls.

"You don't want to dance again though, do you." Emma says more a statement that a question.

"If I can dance again my mother will pull me away from everything. She'll pull me away from you and Henry." Regina says sadly looking down at her hands that are gently folded in her hands.

"Those dreams you hold so tightly, you'd let them go for me and Henry?" Emma asks truly shocked, she had never been put first never chosen over anything.

"I don't even know if they were ever really mine, and who needs dreams when you have the best reality?" Regina admits, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.

Emma smiles, that is the sweetest thing she's ever been told and it makes her feel like all the dreams she could have dreamt lose their meaning to the dream that is loving Regina Mills. She leans over and kisses Regina, loving the way her glasses manage to create the smallest distance between them, before they slide further down her nose and it's as if some imaginary force pulls them closer together. She smiles widely into the kiss, the kiss itself full of love and a feeling of hope of reassurance that everything is going to be alright. An unspoken promise 'I'll never leave you.' 'I'll never let you go.'

With her fears slightly calmed for the time being Regina, holds Emma's hand and takes two tentative steps before letting go. Fighting her mind to put one foot in front of the other and before she realizes it instinct sets in and she no longer has to try. It reminds her of being with Emma instinct kicks in and she no longer has to try to be happy, because with Emma she is happy. Then the walking turns to running and she's sprinting down the hospital hallway like a child. Dark brown hair flying behind her, her socked feet bouncing off the tiles on the floor. Emma chuckling from her spot and the end of the hallway, Regina having left her behind surprising Emma immensely. Regina reaches the end of the hallway and instead of stopping there she turn around and runs right back to Emma. Reaching Emma leaping into her arms, Emma lifting her up and spinning her around, smile wider than it had ever been.

"You did it, you really did it." Emma says, still holding Regina in her arms, the brunettes head resting on her shoulder blonde hair mixing with brown.

"I can't believe it, now I can finally go home." Regina says voice loud with excitement and joy, tears of joy flitting down her face.

Emma's face falls as she realizes Regina is talking about going home, about leaving Emma and for a moment she almost cries.  
But the tears welling in her eyes are interrupted by Regina's words "You are my home." they are said softly into Emma's hair, but Emma hears them nonetheless.

She lets the tears fall, but this time they are not tears of sadness, they are tears of joy of a feeling of love.


	10. I love you too, you Idiot

**Hey guys, I know this update is a little early, but I just couldn't help myself. High School is going pretty good, I still can't believe that I'm actually a freshman, it really blows my mind. Anyway thank you so much for all the beautiful reviews, they make my day and inspire me to keep going. I hope you all have a wonderful day and week!**

The discharge papers were signed, this was really happening she was going home. Emma wasn't there yet, little did the brunette know that the blonde has meticulously cleaned her entire apartment. Just so that Regina could at least feel a little comfortable. Emma was nervous, so nervous that Regina might just change her mind. She slumped down against the wall sitting her head in her hands.

'"You're not going to leave that poor girl waiting at the hospital, are you?" Granny says, Red's grandmother who owned the diner lived right next to Emma.

She could hear sounds of cleaning all day. Sounds that never came from Emma's apartment, not to say that Emma was a slob but she certainly wasn't very neat.

"Oh crap, I'm gonna be late. She probably thinks I'm not coming to get her." Emma says frantically jumping up almost hitting her head.

Before she grabs her keys with a quick wave to granny before she rushes out the door. Getting into her old yellow bug and speeding to the hospital, hoping that she's not too late. Sighing in relief as she walks through the sliding doors of the hospital to find a smiling Regina.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't get here sooner." Emma says apologetically with a lopsided grin on her face.

"It would seem, you're always late my dear. But I love you anyway." Regina says with a deep chuckle.

Emma sighs in relief, letting out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"Let's go home." Emma says finally breaking the comfortable silence that had settled in the room.

Regina simply smiles and holds onto Emma's arm, not quite yet trusting herself with walking on hard flooring. They make their way out to the car before Regina's stomach grumbles loudly.

Which prompts Emma to say "Food then home." with a small chuckle.

"Okay sounds good." Regina says cheeks tinting a pink shade as she gets into the bug, with only a single eyebrow raised in protest.

"I'm sorry it's not the best." Emma says for the first time apologizing for her bug.

"You deathtrap is perfectly fine, my dear." Regina teases putting her seatbelt on as Emma starts the car and pulls out of the parking lot.

Emma chuckles and then asks "Remember Ruby?"

"Yeah, I never really got to meet her though." Regina says, trying to find a way to comfortably sit in the seat of the car.

"We're going to eat at her Grandma's diner, it has some really good food. That is if you like french fries and burgers." Emma laughs at the idea of someone not liking those things, before Regina looks to the floor embarrassed.

"Did I say the wrong thing?" Emma asks her laughter quickly stopping at the look on Regina's face.

"I've, I um I've never eaten a burger or fries." Regina says.

"Really? That is the saddest thing I have ever heard." Emma says driving a little bit faster.

"My mother never allowed me such things, for they would make me gain weight." Regina says trying to hide the twinge of sadness buried in her deep voice.

"Oh Gina, sweetie you are so beautiful please don't let the things she said make you think you are any less beautiful." Emma says picking up Regina's hand a placing a gentle kiss on it.

Regina smiles, eyes looking a little glassy as she kisses Emma's cheek.

"Plus." Emma says lifting her shirt a little to reveal her abs "Burgers and fries don't make you fat, take it from me." she adds trying to Regina feel better.

Regina chuckles, before staring at Emma's abs, "You are so beautiful." she says almost quiet enough to not be heard at all.

But Emma hears and pretty soon she is smiling from ear to ear, before reaching for the volume dial on the radio. Turning it up loud enough to be heard, looking to Regina nodding her head towards the radio, asking silently if she wanted to pick the music. Regina shook her head not really knowing any music other than that she dance too. Emma just smiled and flicked through stations landing on one and turning it up with a small smile.

"If I just lay here will you lie with me." Came through the speakers of the old bug, as Emma sang along, to anyone else it would have been considered screeching, but to Regina it was beautiful.

It was beautiful because those words were being sang to her by the person she loved and it was all she had ever hoped for and more. She had given up on fairy tales a very long time ago, but if the car with Emma's singing she earned back a little bit of that hope she once had.

"Would you lie with me and just forget the world." The song ended as they pulled into Granny's diner that looked like it had time hopped from the sixties.

Regina smiled at the laid back look of this place, realizing that she could be herself and not be held to fancy standards. With that newfound knowledge she laid back in her seat and waited quietly for Emma to find a parking spot. When the car finally came to a stop, it took Regina a minute to realize it had. As she slowly took her seat belt of and assured herself that as long as she was with Emma everything would be alright. This was confirmed when Emma was looking through the window smiling at her before opening the door and offering her hand to Regina. Helping her out of the car and holding her hand as they walked into the diner, catching the attention of one woman. Grey hair thrown messily on her head which held a kind face, that was currently smiling right at Regina and Emma. Wiping her hands on her apron before walking over to the pair.

"Hello dear, you must be Regina?" Granny asks a smile playing on her features.

"Yes, it's nice to meet you." Regina pauses trying to figure out if Emma had given her the lady's name.

"Eugene, but everyone just calls me granny." The woman says with a smile offering her hand to Regina.

Regina shakes Granny's hand returning the smile, the warmth from the woman practically radiating through the room. Then Granny does something you would only expect a parent to do she pulls Regina gently to the side.

"I really like you already, but do me a favor if you don't want to be on my bad side." Granny says pausing momentarily so that the words can sink in.

"What do you want me to do?" The question slightly catches Granny of guard, but it makes her smile because she can see just how much Regina loves Emma.

"Well you see Emma is like a second child to me and I don't want her hurt. I want you to promise me that no matter what you will never hurt her." Granny says making her gaze threatening to get her point across even though she knew the girl in front of her wouldn't do such a thing.

The look of shock on Regina's face was enough to prove that "I would never even dream of it." Regina says knowing she couldn't ever hurt Emma.

"Good." Granny says pulling the girl into a hug and then backing up looking back at Regina "She's been through a lot, so you'll have to be patient. But I can see the way she looks at you Regina she loves you more than anyone I have ever seen her love." Granny says to Regina.

Regina smiles happily before going back to Emma, instantly lacing her fingers with Emma's, giving her a small kiss.

"What was that all about?" Emma asks wondering what Granny said to Regina.  
"She was simply getting to know me." Regina says.

Emma smiles, knowing that she would get the same lecture Regina just got a little bit later from Granny. Granny was okay with love, but she always made sure to know that they weren't going to hurt each other. This was due to the fact that Ruby's first relationship had been toxic. They found a booth by the the window and sat down on opposite sides, holding hands over the table smiling like dorks. Ruby looked over to her friend and smiled it had been a long time since she had seen Emma so happy and if she was being honest happiness was a good look on Emma.

While Emma was busy getting lost in just holding Regina's hand, the brunette looked around to find Ruby. She had figured that Ruby would be eating with them considering she was Emma's best friend. She was starting to think that Ruby had gotten distracted, when she saw the tall brunette trying to casually steal glances at a woman seated in the booth across from them. Regina smiled at how the waitress tried and failed subtilty. The girl in the booth looked like she was in another world, her nose buried in a book. At least it looked that way until Ruby would look away and the girl would steal glances at Ruby from behind her book. It was quite adorable and it had Regina smiling from ear to ear, she had always been a softy for love stories. Especially ones happening right in front of her.

Granny came over to the table then and placed a basket of fries down and said "I bet Ruby will ask her out in the next day."

Regina chuckles and says "Free french fries for a year, if Ruby asks her out in the next five minutes."

Granny shakes her head accepting the bet, sitting down to watch eying the basket of fries. Regina smirked when about five seconds late the brunette waitress was walking toward the lady with her nose in a book. There was smiling and laughing and then a quick wave good, but it was very clear that Ruby had asked the woman out in three minutes. Having won the bet Regina lunges for the basket of fries with a smug look on her face.

The look on her face diminishing as Emma came and stole the fries right out of her hand "Thank you." she says with a small chuckle heading back to the booth.

"Your welcome." Regina says her annoyance immediately fading at the look on Emma's face.

Emma just smiles and starts to eat the fries, Regina looks away for a minute and when she looks back the basket of fries is empty. Regina chuckles at Emma's eating habits, Granny having walked away about a minute ago.

Once Ruby finally broke out of her daze at the fact that the woman had said yes, she finally came and sat with Emma and Regina. Sitting next to Emma a content smile on her face.

"What's her name?" Regina asks Ruby wanting to get to know the waitress better.

"Her name's Belle." Ruby says her face full of love.

"Well I wish you the best of luck." Regina says reaching out to hold Emma's hand over the table again, now that Emma was back.

Emma smiled from the other side of the table giving her hand a light squeeze. Regina picking up Emma's hand and placing a feather light kiss on her knuckles. Causing Emma to blush slightly squeezing Regina's hand tighter.

"Oh Emma." Ruby says as if she remembers what she was supposed to tell Emma before she had gotten distracted stealing glances at Belle.

"Ya." Emma asked not really fulling interested in the conversation, more interested in getting lost in Regina's chocolate brown eyes.

"Kathryn invited us for dinner tomorrow night, I'm going to bring Belle you should definitely bring Regina." Ruby says motioning to the previously mentioned brunette.

"That sounds great, is that okay with you?" Emma asks facing Regina once more, squeezing her hand gently to let her know that it's okay if she doesn't want to go.

"Yeah of course, but once question. Who is Kathryn?" Regina says her mind instantly jumping to her best friend Kathryn.

"She's the one who saved Henry as a baby and gave him to Ruby." Emma says and that's when Regina remembers the story Emma told her.

"Oh then I would love to meet her." Regina says instantly thankful for what the woman in question had done so many years ago.

Emma just smiles and nods at Ruby to tell her that they will definitely be there, before looking back to Regina. Leaning over the table to place a soft kiss on her lips. The rest of the afternoon at the diner was filled with small talks and stealing quick kisses across the booth. Before Henry woke up from his nap he had been having in the back room of the diner. Running out of the swinging door clutching a small blanket and showing off a toothy grin, that never failed to make Regina smile. His small face filling with joy when he saw the brunette sitting in the booth, with no one next to her. As he raced to the booth pulling himself up, for the booth itself was almost as tall as he way. Plopping down in the seat giving Regina's arm a hug, finding that his arms were too short to give her a normal hug.

"Gina!" The little boy shouts giving her arm another hug, looking up at the table to see if there was any food left.

Squealing in delight when he found that there were fries up there, taking a cautious look around before snatching the fries into his arms. Hiding them under the table, so that his blonde mother across from them couldn't steal the fries. Earning a chuckle from Ruby and Regina and a whine of "Hey those were my fries." from Emma.

"Don't worry dear, I get free fries for a year." Regina says with another smirk knowing that Emma will definitely be jealous of the free fries.

"Really? That's not even fair." Emma whines throwing her head back in the seat with an over exaggerated huff.

"Don't worry my love I'll share." Regina says stealing one of Henry's fries and giving it too Emma adding "See I'm very generous."

"You are so lucky I love you." Emma says quickly snatching the fry out of Regina's hand. Earning her a kiss and an amused chuckle from Regina.

"You're lucky I love you too, you idiot." Regina says reaching over the booth and giving Emma another kiss.


	11. Under the light of the stars

**I'm sorry these updates are a little erratic, but my schedule is all over the place. Anyway thanks for all the love you guys have shown me, I hope you have a great day and week!**

Ruby had asked if Henry could stay over at her place that night and Emma had happily said yes. Now they were pulling into the driveway of Emma's apartment.

"I'm sorry it's not much." Emma says eyes finding the floor, for the first time being embarrassed of where she lived; she had just started being a physical therapist so it had not yet become a steady income.

"It's home." Regina says with a smile because as long as it's where Emma and Henry are then it is perfect to her.

This time Regina gets out first helping Emma out of the car and holding her hand all the way up until Emma had to put the keys in the door. It had been a long day and they were both thoroughly exhausted not that either of them were willing to admit it. It was November and even though snow had already fallen, it had seemed to be getting warmer. This night however was the beginning of the fierce and unrelenting cold, The weather didn't always start as cold as it became, this night it was only sixty degrees. Which was very warm, when you take into consideration that in the weeks to come the temperature would go below freezing and then it would be christmas.

On the cold nights Emma liked to make herself some hot cocoa, so she left Regina in the living room. To go to the kitchen and make the warm drink, throwing a good handful of mini marshmallows and drowning it in whip cream. Smiling finally happy with the amount of sugar in the drink, Emma came back out to the living room. Sitting next to Regina who was curled around herself in the corner of the couch. Emma grabbed the blanket from beside the couch and draped it over Regina's shivering form. The other woman smiled gratefully before curling back into the blanket. She was relatively short so the blanket left only her nose, eyes and ears out. Emma laughed at the adorableness of it all and found herself a blanket and her fuzzy socks. They didn't stay up very long for when the movie Emma had gotten engrossed in ended, she looked over to see Regina asleep.

Emma smiled and decided that she too was tired, getting up off the couch almost falling. Moving to gently pick up the sleeping brunette, picking her up in her arms almost surprised at how light the other woman was. Carrying her bridal style in her room and laying her down gently on the bed. Before crawling under the covers and almost falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Emma wrapped her arms around Regina before falling into a dreamless sleep. The cold night air left a breeze in the room and the moonlight shone through a curtain that had been moved during the day. The sounds of the city had always made Emma feel peaceful. She was woken up by the sound of soft whimpering and then there was a scream and she shot up in bed. Looking over to find Regina moving restlessly moving the other side of the bed. Squeezing Emma's arm painfully, there was definitely going to be imprints from the other woman's nails. Ignoring the pain in her arm Emma turns slightly to hold Regina in her arms.

"Shh baby it's okay." Emma whispers trying to calm Regina.

Shaking her gently awake trying to not scare her at the same time. Regina's eyes flutter open, panic shining in her dark brown eyes. Tears threatening to fall as she realizes she is safe and buries her head in Emma's chest. Breathing slowly returning to normal as Emma runs her fingers through dark brown hair and sings softly to calm Regina down.

"Do you think you can sleep again?" Emma asks her own emerald eyes shining with worry.

Regina no longer trusts her words and her throat feels scratchy in need of a drink, so she weakly shakes her head no. Emma offers up a soft sad smile and gently pushes aside the covers getting out of bed. Walking over the window, opening it and taking the blankets out from under the bed. Before going to the kitchen and making some tea, before coming back into the room two piping hot mugs of tea in her hands. She sits them down on the nightstand before climbing out the window telling Regina she will be right back. It had always been her favorite thing about this apartment how you could sit on the small section of roof out the window. How you could perfectly see the stars, it had gotten her through many night of worry about whether she was a good mother or if she had enough money to get by. It was her safe place even in the cold and all she wanted was for Regina to feel safe. So she brought out her warmest and thickest blankets draping them over the section of the roof. She had gotten fencing for a while ago when she had almost fallen off the roof in her sleep. Then she pokes her head back in the window grabbing at least four pillows and she goes back outside propping the pillows up. Before turning on the string lights she had gotten when Henry had started coming out on the roof with her. He loved it too, but was still afraid of the dark so she had surprised him by putting lights out there so he could sit with mommy. Finally she crawled back through the window a few minutes later.

"Come with me." Emma says softly, Regina still visibly shaken by the nightmare.

Regina smiles softly and takes Emma's hand grabbing her mug in the other hand. Smiling brightly when she sees what's out the window, staring in awe at how beautiful it was. She had always wanted a window like this as a kid and had once tried climbing the roof, but she had fallen and broken her arm.

"It's wonderful." Regina says her voice raspy from sleep.

Which earns her a smile from Emma who is already lying down curled up in blankets. Emma pats the spot next to her inviting Regina to lay down and Regina does curling herself up in blankets too, one arm reaching out to hold Emma.

"I'm sorry." Regina whispers almost too quiet to be heard, but Emma hears her and is taken off guard wondering what in the world Regina could be sorry for.

"What for." Emma asks her nose scrunching up in confusement.

"For waking you up." Regina supplies looking down feeling bad for waking the blonde.

"Oh sweetheart don't be sorry for that. It's not your fault we all have nightmares it makes us human. There is nothing I'd rather do than hold you in my arms and make you feel safe." Emma says saddened that Regina feels she has to apologize for having a nightmare.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Emma adds, looking over to the brunette who's face is illuminated by the moonlight.

Regina nods her head yes, tears glistening in her eyes remembering the dream itself.

"I lost you just like I lost him" Is all Regina can say before she's in tears.

"Like you lost who?" Emma asks her heartbreaking for her love.  
"I've been a dancer since I was little, and he became my dance partner when I was a teenager. His name was Daniel. My mother was kinder back then proud of me and my sister. She approved of me and Daniel because our dance routine was a winner. We won contests and were invited to perform in a big time ballet. We fell in love and he and dance were everything to me. I used to dance with him because it made me feel loved. The night of the ballet my sister Zelena insisted she drove us because she was so proud and I looked up to her so much. She brought her best friend Lilly with us and at a point the car, it spun out of control. We slammed into another car head on, Daniel died on impact and Lilly was in critical condition. Lilly was like an older sister to me too, and I found out that Zelena had loved her.

The last words Lilly ever said were to Zelena "How lucky I was to get to love you."

Zelena never danced again, she never did much of anything because that day in the hospital room she lost her everything. She took off a week later packed all of her things and never came back. She left a note and it said that one she would be back, but for now it was all just too much.

I was caught up in all the loss of Lily and of my sister and my fiance, that was when I found out I was pregnant. Most people said I was lucky that I was going to have a reminder of the man I lost. My son was my light through the grieving he's the reason I ate, the reason I got out of bed every morning. When he died, a think a part of me died along with him. My mother was way too happy to see that he had passed, she said he would have been a distraction to my career.

I didn't want to dance again let alone live and that's when my mother became crueler. And everything I ever had was ripped away.

It seemed so fitting when I crashed my car, that that would be the way I would go. I welcomed it, in fact I was happy when I felt everything go black. I was so excited to see my little boy and the man I had loved. Then I woke up in the hospital and the first thing I saw were these beautiful green eyes staring back at me.

You became my reason to fight, you became my reason to make it to the next day.

And what I dreamt tonight is that you were taken away from me just like Daniel was and it hurt more than anything I have ever felt."

Regina finishes in tears, burying her face further into Emma's chest.

"I'm here my love I'm right here and I'm never going anywhere." Was all that Emma could say, holding onto Regina letting her know she was there, hating the world that had caused the brunette all this pain.


	12. Our Baby Boy

**Hey guys, sorry this chapter is really short, and it's posted so soon, but I just couldn't stop writing. I'm sorry if the writing style of this is a little weird, I was just really emotional which causes my writing to change. Anyway hope you guys are having a good day and please feel free to leave any advice or suggestions as to how I can make things better. Anyway have a great rest of your day and you weekend.**

Emma had been the first to fall asleep out there on the roof. Under the light of the stars the snow coming down in flurries. Regina looked at Emma as though it was the first time she had seen her. She followed the contours of Emma's face with her eyes, fingers tangling in long blonde locks reveling in how silky they were, careful not to wake her. Taking in the adorable way Emma's nose scrunched slightly even in her sleep, the way she looked so calm so peaceful. The way the snowflakes stuck to her eyelashes, the white of the snow contrasting Emma's dark eyelashes. The way Emma curled into the blanket to gain warmth even though she carelessly slung her arm out into the cold to hold Regina. Regina smiles she hasn't felt this happy in so long and she almost has to remind herself that it is really real. With newfound comfort in the sounds of the city at night and Emma's arms, Regina falls asleep peacefully for the rest of the night.

The morning sun rose waking Emma up from a peaceful sleep. Frowning slightly when she found the space next to her empty. Pushing off the covers and crawling through the window, hitting her head off of the top of it cursing silently and animatedly. Apparently she didn't curse and jump around as quietly as she thought she had, since a rich deep laughter drifted in from the woman in the other room. Emma followed the sound a smile forming on her lips at what she saw when she entered the kitchen. Regina in one her t-shirts, it looking more like a dress on the smaller woman with no shorts on, dancing to random songs and cooking eggs. It was the cutest thing Emma had ever seen and it made her heart swell.

Coming up behind Regina and wrapping her arms around her waist, "This is why I love you." Emma breathes out.

Regina smile and chuckles softly again turning around in Emma's hold and giving her a soft kiss, before turning back to the stove. Swaying her hips to the music, hair tousled thrown into a messy bun, strands falling down into her face. Face clean of makeup revealing light freckles on cheekbones, that made Regina all the more beautiful. This would soon become Emma's favorite version of Regina all carefree and happy, dancing around the kitchen in her underwear.

"Is my shirt comfy?" Emma teases Regina, the fact Regina was wearing her t-shirt made Emma's heart swell.

"Yes, of course it is. It smells just like you." Regina says putting her nose in the shirt and sniffing it.

"What are you making?" Emma asks lazily even though she already knows that Regina is making eggs.

Regina covers the stove with her back conspiratorially with a smirk before she says if I told you I'd have to kill you. The room erupted in laughter from the both of them, a sense of euphoria rushing over them. All of their problems seemingly melting away into the back on their minds. Nothing more important that each other and that was all that would ever matter each other and Henry. It was a calmness like a still in the water after drowning in the high tides. Time seemed to go on forever in the kitchen that morning. The sheer look of happiness on Emma's face when Regina opened the oven and pulled out bacon, causing Emma to jump up for joy. They were happy and carefree despite the incoming snow storm and the storm that would tear through their heart, but for right now they were in what some would call heaven on Earth.

Doing the dishes and getting into a fight of soap and bubbles, both having to change because their clothes were soaked.

Before a bounding three year old raced through the door and made everything even brighter, a bouncing ball of energy and a chuckling Ruby. Running around the apartment in circles with the little boy, until he fell asleep, quite literally falling down asleep. Not being able to keep his little eyes open any longer, picking him up into her arms Regina carried him to Granny's across the hall.

Laying him on Granny's couch placing a soft kiss on his forehead, her heart melting when the little boy looked at her with sleepy eyes and mumbled "I love you mommy."

And she said to herself, that her little boy would have been just like him and now she had two little boys one with her and the other one with the stars. She was more than proud to call Henry her son, her little boy because to her regardless of genetics he already was her little boy.

"I love you too, my little prince." Regina says with a smile tears of joy shining in her eyes, referencing Emma's name for her in the hospital.

Going back to the apartment smiling through tears, Emma eyes shining with brief worry before realizing that the tears were not sad at all. Regina finding a pair of Emma's skinny jeans and a baggy sweater. and Emma surging forward to place a kiss on Regina's lips. Regina smiling into the kiss and Emma wearing a simple black dress she pulled out from the back of her closet and putting her red leather jacket on earning a soft chuckle from 's nerves getting the best of her for a few minutes, but Emma being there to reassure her everything was going to be alright.

Pulling into the orchard they were meeting Kathryn and Ruby at for dinner, Regina recognizing the orchard as the one she went to as a child

the one her best friend Kathryn owned. To happy to even think about the coincidence of that fact, instead she just shrugged it off and held Emma's hand.

When they walked into the door of the banquet hall at the orchard, Regina smiled when she saw Kathryn and then she realized that Ruby was sitting with Kathryn.

It all fell into place then, and her composure came crumbling down, tears streaming down her face as she fled.

"Regina!" Emma yelled confusion clouding her features and her voice, wondering what she could have done.

"Oh no." Kathryn says from where she is sitting and hangs her head face in her hands.

"What's going on?" Emma demands, devastated at the state Regina was currently in wherever Regina was right now.

"That's Henry's birth mother." Kathryn says meekly face pale all the regret catching up to her even though she knows that she saved Henry.

Emma falls to her knees the new information being all too much, her vision getting blurry as Ruby runs to catch her friend. Panic attacks Ruby has helped

Emma through them before, but this one was really bad. The world went blank for Emma, before she came to, minutes later. The attack had been so bad she had passed out.

"Why?" Is all Emma can say to Kathryn because right now nothing makes sense anything she thought she knew feels like a lie and she doesn't know what to believe.

"I had to do what I did, Cora was going to kill Henry. She was on the phone and she said that now that Daniel was gone, that the baby would no longer do any good, and

that it would be a distraction. She told whoever was on the phone to make it look like an accident and I just knew I couldn't let that happen, I would have never forgiven myself.

I'm sorry." Kathryn says her own voice becoming thick with tears, she and Regina had been like sisters until Kathryn had to hide the baby, she just couldn't live knowing she caused the heartbreak she would see everyday on Regina's face.

"I'm sorry too." Emma says because she believes Kathryn believes that her words are true and in her apology she silently thanks Kathryn.

Then she has to go and find Regina, who is probably more of a mess that she is right now. She found the brunette hidden away under an apple tree away from all the rest

it was hard to see the normally strong Regina so broken.

Emma doesn't waste a second as she pulls Regina into her arms, wiping away Regina's tears with her palm. Placing a kiss to her forehead and rocking back and forth slightly.

"My baby boy is alive." Regina whispers into Emma's embrace, fresh tears pouring down her face.

Still in shock not really believing in of it Regina cries harder, clinging to Emma. Emma smooths dark brown hair with her hand tucking Regina's head under her chin, holding the trembling burnette. It was a lot to take in and Emma still hadn't let it fully sink in, the reality of it all catching up to her in a second. A reality where Regina could want nothing to do with her, a reality where she could lose Henry. So she held the other woman and cried along with her under the apple tree that had been Regina's as a child.

"He is." Emma chokes out tears filling her eyes.

Brown eyes meet emerald ones, they look to reassure the blonde that Henry is hers and always will be. That she would never even dream of taking Henry from Emma. Emerald eyes soften and tears fall, and she's not really sure if they are happy or not this time.

"Our baby boy." Regina adds, the words falling carelessly from her lips not much thought put into them.

Emma smiles and her lip quivers as she repeats over and over in her head our little boy.


	13. The bitter cold

**Sorry that I haven't updated in a while, I've been busy with tests and quizzes, so this is relatively short. Anyway hope you enjoy and have a great day.!**

They lay there on the frosted ground under the snowy branches of the apple tree. Until Emma hears the chattering of teeth and looks to find that even cuddled against her, Regina has started to look a little blue.

"You freezing." Emma's tone doesn't leave room for argument which there is little from the other woman until Emma starts to pull away.

The blonde catches on quickly and stands up wrapping the brunettes legs around her middle, and wraps her arms around Regina's waist. A nest of dark brown hair resting on Emma's chest, contrasting the pale skin it lay on. Regina curls herself further into Emma unable to stop shaking from the cold and green eyes look at her with such worry. Worry that she hasn't seen anyone have for her in years and it warms her heart even in the cold of the winter. It is quite the weird way to carry someone unless they are a toddler, but Emma doesn't question it because her heart fills at the way Regina curls her head against her chest. The way she doesn't dig her fingers into Emma's arms like Henry does because he's afraid Emma will drop him. Instead the brunette looks so content and safe and her eyes shine in a way Emma has never seen them shine before.

It when Emma hears the alarm tone from her phone that she almost jumps, the automated voice speaks "Severe Blizzard warning."

The blonde's face falls, she was going to bundle Regina up in blankets in the car and drive home, so that the brunette cold warm up. Now she's not really sure how she's going to get the half asleep brunette in her arms warm. That is until a flash of red and brown hair runs towards them, it's Ruby.

"Oh dear, you guys are freezing let's get you inside." Ruby says running to open the banquet door for Emma, holding it open waiting for Emma to maneuver her way through the door, still carrying the other woman in her arms. Shutting the door behind them, before going back to the couch she had been curled up with Belle on.

"The lofts up this way." Kathryn directs, Frederick standing close by.

It was wonderful to see the brunette who had been through so much, find love again. It was clear that Emma cared for Regina very much and Kathryn knew in that moment that her best friend was safe in the blonde's arms.

Emma walks up the creaky wooden staircase walking into the loft, in awe at how beautiful and cozy it looked. The wooden eaves held string lights which was the only source of light in the space. Make-shift bed were on the floor, the entire space under the beginning of the eaves, covering in fluffy blankets and pillows. Emma wasn't even sure how someone got so many blankets, but she certainly wasn't going to complain. A few candles left flickering on the railing just in case the power went out, which was very likely. Emma had been through the blizzards before they were beautiful to her, the way they looked so peaceful, but proved dangerous when you were out in the storm. She was suddenly thankful that she had gotten Regina inside as soon as she did. She laid down the now sleeped brunette on the blankets and then covered her up with even more blankets. Making sure that Regina was nice and warm, before walking back over to the railing and leaning over it looking down below. She didn't know how long she had stood there, but one by one she watched as the lights below flicked off and footsteps came up the stairs of the loft. It was Ruby and Belle she realized as the two woman walked past her and whispered goodnight. Sighing realized she was indeed up so late Emma found herself walking back downstairs.

"Can't sleep either." Came Kathryn's raspy voice.

"No I guess I can't, it's just it's all too much." Emma says finding Kathryn on the couch in the dark and sitting across from her on the other couch.

Kathryn sighs "It is and I can't help, but just feel so guilty."

"You saved my baby boy, don't ever feel guilty for that, please." Emma says hating that her friend blames herself for everything.

"I don't feel guilty for saving him, I just feel so bad that I've caused Regina so much pain." Kathryn says repositioning herself so that she is laying down on the couch with a yawn.

"You didn't see how happy she was outside, her only worry was that I would think she wanted to take Henry away from me. She is so truly amazing, I don't know how I ever got so lucky." Emma says.

"Emma you sell yourself short, she's lucky to have you too." Kathryn says.

"Thanks Kathryn, how is Frederick?" Emma asks lazily throwing her feet over the arm of the couch, quickly finding her old cup of hot chocolate from earlier in the night.

"He is good, he was going to come, but then he got the blizzard warning. Thank goodness, that he wasn't out in the storm when it started." Kathryn says breathing another sigh of relief.

"I'm glad too, it's been so long since I've seen you guys." Emma says.

"Well you, Henry and Regina are welcome anytime." Kathryn says smiling happily that her best friends have finally found their family.

"I'll call you and we can work out some time." Emma suggest getting up for a minute to refill her cup with hot chocolate.

"Sounds good," Kathryn says before adding "the cinnamon is in the first cabinet." after she hears the fumbling around.

Emma chuckles softly and pulls out the cinnamon, putting a healthy amount on top of the whip cream.

"Are you gonna have any hot chocolate with your whip cream and cinnamon." Kathryn asks from the couch.

Emma smiles and says "I'm gonna head upstairs to check on Regina and maybe get some rest."

Kathryn mumbles a goodnight as Emma heads up the staircase, already half drank hot cocoa on the railing and laying down next to Regina. Regina's eyes immediately open and without a word she reaches out and wraps her arms around Emma. Emma smiles and lets herself be held instantly falling asleep in the comfort of Regina's arms.


End file.
